


Bloodlines

by prettypaperdoll



Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, F/M, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Gen, Romance, mention of rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-23 02:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4859039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettypaperdoll/pseuds/prettypaperdoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allison Foster has been searching her whole life to find a family. When she hires a private detective, she discovers her mother is Cheyenne and living on the Reservation near Durant, Wyoming. She enlists the help of a semi-reluctant Mathias and they both uncover the secrets that had been buried for for so long.</p><p>Takes place sometime before 'Hector Lives' in Season 4.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, writing for a new fandom makes me so nervous especially since this is a new relationship and with a semi-minor character. But if you tell me you don't like Mathias, then you're lying because he's awesome and doesn't he deserve some love too. I put in some warnings about mention of rape, but that won't come until later chapters. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and feedback is always welcome!

“Our first teacher is our own heart.”

-Cheyenne Proverb

 

The ride to Durant wasn't a long one, but going anywhere over ten miles in the Ford was a risk. It'd been awhile since it broke down for no reason, but Allison knew this was probably it's last ride. The thought of this being a one-way trip made her even more nervous and she took her foot off the gas a little. For her sake, she hoped she would find the answers she'd been looking for and it wouldn't be a total loss. The truck sputtered a little and Allison glared at the dashboard. 

“Just a few more miles. Don't break down on me now; we're almost there.” 

As if the truck understood her, the sputtering stopped. She sighed with relief and went back to a faster speed. The sooner she could get there, the sooner this could be over. Or was it the beginning? The journey to this point had been long and tedious. Who knew getting her own birth records would have so much damn red tape the cut through? Papers to sign and approvals and more papers to sign, all for what? Just to get a glimpse at her birth certificate. It was all bullshit in her opinion, so she went another route. She hired a private detective to find out about her birth parents and where she could find them. It cost her an arm and a leg, but it was all worth it to find out a name and a place.

Leena Red Fox. Cheyenne Reservation near Absaroka County. 

The name stunned her. Cheyenne? The thought never even crossed her mind. She was white and aside from the dark hair, she looked nothing like an Indian. Or was it Native American? Either way, she was shocked enough to give her boss very little notice that she was quitting and on the road the the next day.

All this time and I was only a state away, she thought. Colorado had been a place of residence her whole life, but it had never been home. Her adoptive mom, Kate, died of cancer when she was two and was put into the system and through a cornucopia of foster homes until she was eighteen. She had already started to fend for herself before then. Some homes had been better than others. Some had been complete nightmares. Allison touched a scar over her eyebrow, the memory of a particular house rising to the surface of her mind. 

“No,” she said out loud. This was a fresh start and the only baggage she was bringing with her was a big sea bag she snagged from the Salvation Army. A green sign indicated she was driving into Absaroka County and she let out a deep exhale. Going to the reservation was the first choice, seeing as this was a Cheyenne matter and not the local law enforcement. The idea made her stomach turn on itself a bit; she had next to no proof that Leena was in fact her mother. Just the few pieces of paper that the private detective emailed to her. Yeah, that was going to fly. Allison already decided she would take her chances when she started this trip. 

There were two outcomes to the situation: send her away or help. Fifty-fifty wasn't exactly comforting, but it was better than nothing. 

Allison drove on, glancing out the window. She could get used to all this open country; Denver was beautiful but it was nothing compared to this. Wide open land that transformed into mountains and forests and melted into a bright blue horizon. The sunsets must have been killer. She hoped she would be around long enough to catch a few. A map was splayed out on the front seat with a giant red circle marking the reservation. So far, she was going to the right way. At least she hoped so. The last thing she needed was to get lost in all this space. Allison cursed herself for the third time for not giving in a buying the GPS.

The drive took her through Durant, as small town as it could get aside from the massive casino. It looked nice enough and she made a note of where the Sheriff's office was just in case. She hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. Onward she went, only stopping once to fill up on gas and ask for directions. The sign for the reservation came up quicker than she thought it would and Allison turned, slamming on her brakes before going through the gate. Once the dust cleared, she could see the road and for a quick moment she thought about forgetting this whole thing and turning back. But to where? She didn't have any real family in Denver. This is the only way forward, Allison thought finally and eased the rickety Ford forward. 

There were a few people outside and every one of them followed her truck with their eyes, silently judging and debating what this stranger, this white girl was doing on their land. She tried to keep her eyes forward, but she couldn't help but look into a few of the faced she passed. The unkindness in their eyes was so strong, she could feel it penetrating the metal of the truck and into her very soul. This was going to be tougher than she thought. Luckily, she found the Tribal Police station without having to ask for directions and with a final, resounding nod to herself in the visor mirror, she got out of the truck and went inside. The heat from all the stares made her feel almost embarrassed; as if she had come in completely naked. Pushing her dark hair behind one ear, she stepped to the front desk.

“Hi. Uhh,” The girl glaring at her made her throat constrict. “I'm Allison Foster and uh, I'm looking for some information on someone in the reservation. Is there someone I can talk to about that or-?” 

No answer. Did the girl speak English? Of course she did. It was dumb to think she didn't. On the other hand, the girl looked as if Allison was the one speaking a different language. Finally, the girl picked up the phone, pushed a button and said, “Mathias, another white girl to see you.” 

Allison let out a strangled sigh, wringing her shaking hands together. It was becoming painful when a voice said, “Can I help you?” 

An older, very intimidating Indian man with long, black hair stood behind the partition, hands on his hips. He was frowning a little, making him even more intimidating if that were possible. 

“Uh,” she started, feeling stupider by the second. Everyone was still staring at her. Good god, just say it already, she thought harshly, mentally kicking herself. “I'm looking for someone on the reservation.”

“Is that so? Someone in particular, or are you just curious in talking to a scary Indian? We've got a lot of those.” 

The girl at the desk smiled and one of the deputies turned away, hiding his silent laughing. He was making fun of her and it sent the nerves straight out of her body. 

Her eyes zeroed in on the one they called Mathias. “No. I'm looking for my mother. Leena Red Fox.” 

The smiles and chuckles disappeared immediately. For a second, Mathias' face softened. “We can talk in my office.” He said and motioned for her to follow him. Allison ignored the eyes that studied her as she walked behind him. Once inside the office, he closed the door behind them before sitting at his desk. 

“Please sit.” 

Allison obliged. She noticed he wasn't quite as intimidating up close. He looked tired and worn around the edges, but there was a uncommon handsomeness to him. 

“You're mother is Leena Red Fox.” He stated, rather than asking. “Do you have any proof?” 

Oh here it comes, she thought. “No, I don't. I hired a private detective to find out for me. I'm waiting for the approval from the courts to get the birth records, but until then-” She cut herself short.

Mathias nodded, thinking for a moment. “Why are you looking for her?”

Allison frowned. “Well, aside from the fact that I only just found out about her and would like to get to know my birth mother, I dunno just crazy curiosity I guess.” The tone of her voice wasn't exactly nice, but it was the least she could give back after that humiliation he threw at her. 

She thought she saw the hint of a smile, but it was gone as soon as it had come. “Understandable. But is your crazy curiosity worth digging up a bunch of skeletons?”

“Skeletons? Sir-” 

“You can call me Mathias.” He interrupted. This time the hint of a smile from before stayed.

“Okay. Mathias. Those skeletons are the only links I have to my family. I was put up for adoption when I was born and I've been lost ever since. If it means getting my hands dirty, then  
I'll do it. And I'll do it alone if I have to. I've come this far and I'm not stopping now.” She huffed out a breath. “So will you help me or not?” 

The Indian tilted his head a little, scanning her with his dark eyes. Allison squirmed a little. He was giving her that naked feeling again. Finally, Mathias nodded.

“I'll help you, but you're not going to like what we find.” He stood up, and she quickly followed. “I have some things to take care of, but I'm free this evening. Meet me back here at sunset.” He opened the door, indicating that it was time for Allison to leave. She stepped towards the door, but turned to Mathias before leaving.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” 

“You're welcome.” He said, his features going soft again. 

When Allison left the building, she felt a great weight drop from her chest and shoulders. She sat in her truck, smiling, when she suddenly remembered she didn't have anywhere to wait until sunset. She wasn't going to wait in the office, that was for damn sure. Allison knew there being a few places in Durant she could hang out, the casino included. She snorted at herself. There was very little money in her bank account to begin with, there was no way she was going to waste it playing poker. 

The next thing she realized was that she would probably need somewhere to stay. The choice of hotels was fair enough, so she picked one at random and booked it for two nights. The room was good enough for what she paid and it looked better than the back seat of her truck so it would do. Allison sat on the bed, noticing the same decorations that seemed to grace every hotel room. Same bed spread, same cliche art. She was a little surprised there wasn't more Native American art, but she figured that was all for the casino hotel. 

The bedside clock told her there were six more hours to pass before sunset. She sighed and decided that a shower and some food was in order. Her mind kept wandering to the Mathias and the word skeleton. It kept floating across her mind in big, spooky letters that you would see in a children's cartoon. It was ominous and she wondered if he would be taking her to a grave with an actual skeleton. “You won't like what we find.” He told her and she felt a small shiver run down her spine. Whatever it was, it had to be better than nothing at all. Or so she told herself. 

After a long shower and a a measly sandwich she made for herself before leaving home, she laid down on the bed, forbidding herself to look at the clock. Eventually, she closed her eyes. The sound of a telephone ringing startled her and she gasped, shooting up. 

“Oh shit,” she groaned. The clock said six fifteen. She sighed and answered the phone. “Hello?”

“There's a gentleman in the lobby asking for you.” A male voice answered.

Allison rubbed her face. “Is he Indian?”

“Yes ma'm.”

“T-tell him I'll be down in a minute.” She hung up, rubbing her eyes hard and stood up. Her hair was still damp so she braided it down the side while slipping her shoes on. 

“Keys you dummy.” She growled and grabbed the hotel and truck keys, stuffing both in her back pocket. She left the room, only to come back in and grab her purse. 

Mathias was leaning against the front desk when she emerged from the elevator. He was scanning her again. Why does he do that, she wondered. She put on a sheepish grin as she approached him. 

“Sorry, I uh...fell asleep.” 

“I understand. It is a long drive from Denver.” He said, a smirk playing on his lips. 

“Did some homework, huh?” 

He nodded, “I had to find out if you were telling the truth or not.”

“And what were you going to do if I wasn't?” She asked, crossing her arms. 

“Keep you waiting at the station until you got tired and left.” 

Allison scoffed. “Wow. That's not terrible at all.”

Mathias shrugged. “Ready?” 

“Does this mean I'm telling the truth?” Her eyebrows were raised in slight surprise. 

“For now. I couldn't get access to your birth records either, but I did run down your license and address. I also contacted the social worker that handled your case.”

Allison frowned. “How did you find that?”

“It's public record.” Mathias was heading to the door and Allison quickly followed.

“And?” 

“Didn't have much to say. She wasn't very willing to give me information.” The automatic door opened and he went through, not even acknowledging she was behind him. 

“Sucks doesn't it?” She called out, making Mathias stop walking. She eyed him, debating on whether that was the absolute wrong response. He put his hands on his hips again and she couldn't help but notice the length and slenderness of his fingers. 

“Do you want to ride with me or follow? You might get a better response if you're riding with me.”

“Response?” She asked. “From who?”

“Your grandmother.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison meets her grandfather and is shown the Red Pony by Mathias.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm still nervous about this new fandom, especially since there isn't much characterization of Mathias so this is all how I *imagine* him to be. Thanks for reading and the kudos. It really warms my little black heart. Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy! Comments and feedback are always welcome!

The ride to the reservation was quiet for the most part, aside from random dispatch calls and the sound of the wind blowing through the open windows. She was appreciative of the fresh air. The nerves were making her stomach turn over and over to the point she thought she might be sick. A few times she thought about starting a conversation to distract her, but her driver didn't look particularly chatty. Mathias looked so serious. The wind blew through his long hair and she was suddenly reminded of a Native American Chief she saw in a photograph once. Solemn and exhausted, but a spark of light still shone through those dark eyes. The thought of him being uncommonly handsome hit her again. Despite his very obvious disinterest in talking, she decided to go ahead with it; there was something that kept bugging her anyway. Allison glanced over, studying Mathias' face before asking the question. Then she cleared her throat. 

“So, how did you find me anyway? And wasn't I supposed to meet you at the station?”

“I made a few calls.” He answered without looking at her. “As for picking you up, I thought you could save the gas.” 

Allison was taken aback. She had been expecting some smart-ass answer about her getting lost or something. “Oh. Thanks.” Exhaling, she started again. “You said you were taking me to my grandmother. What should I expect?” 

Finally, he looked over at her. “Hard to say. With everything that happened, she might be glad for the reunion. On the other hand, seeing you could stir up all of that bad blood again.”

“What did happen exactly?” 

Mathias was back to watching the road again, but she could see a darkness cloud his features. “I think it's best if you heard it from her.” 

Allison opened her mouth to argue, then she closed it quickly. He was probably right. Whatever had to be said was better coming from someone who knew first hand. 

“What I can tell you,” Mathias sighed. “Is that Maria isn't the sweetest of women. She's been burned pretty badly over the years and she's developed an unkindness for strangers.” 

She sat up straight in her seat. “Am I going to get shot?”

For the first time that day, she saw Mathias fully smile. “Not if I can help it.” 

The response wasn't exactly comforting, but her gut told her he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her so she relaxed. They entered the reservation, granting Allison a full view of the sunset, turning the sky a brilliant array of reds and pinks. It warmed her to the very tips of her toes and she sighed, reveling in the few moments of uninterrupted peace she felt. A few moments later, they were pulling up to a small brown house. And it looked like no one was home. Mathias turned the engine off, the silence falling around them like a thick blanket. 

“Are you sure about this?” Mathias' voice was low and soft, but it still made Allison jump a little. 

A wind chime tinkled on the front porch and somewhere a dog barked. Finally, she nodded and opened the door. 

The house was well kept, aside from a broken shutter that leaned on the wall beneath the window. There were a few potted plants, some hanging and overflowing. Allison wrung her hands together tightly, taking deliberate deep breaths to try and calm the shaking. All of her answers were lying behind that front door and part of her wondered if she should even open it. Suddenly, she stopped walking. From her peripheral, she saw Mathias appear next to her. He didn't say anything, thank goodness, and only watched for her next move. The muscles in her legs were frozen, but her nerves were trying to jump start her into a run back to the car. Before she even had a chance, the front door opened and a man stepped out. 

He was very tall and broad shouldered, a gray-white mane tied back away from his face. But it was his eyes that Allison noticed first. They were piercing as if she was staring into the face of a hawk. 

“Mathias? What are you doing here? Is everything all right?” His voice stirred something in her, a sudden feeling of familiarity that came over her. 

“Everything is fine Samuel,” Mathias replied. “Is Maria here?” 

“No, she's at bingo night.” He answered. He spoke to Mathias, but his eyes were glued on Allison. 

“Oh, it's Wednesday isn't it? I completely forgot.” He sighed. “Can we come inside? This woman wants to talk to you.” 

“About what?” 

Allison tried to look away from Samuel's sharp gaze, but it seemed impossible. “I-” she started, but Mathias quickly interrupted.

“It's about Leena.” 

At last, Samuel turned is gaze to Mathias. A cold breeze blew, sending goosebumps all over Allison's arms. Did the mention of her name suddenly change the weather? Or was it Samuel's icy stare that brought the wind? She wasn't sure, but her t-shirt suddenly wasn't enough and she wrapped her arms around herself. 

“No, I don't think so.” Samuel said, “Maria and I are still closing those wounds. I couldn't bare to have them opened again.” Though he spoke of wounds, his face was still hard and his eyes never faltered in their coldness. The hawk eyes were on her again. “Whatever you have to tell us, young lady, isn't worth our sanity.” 

“Please.” Allison said suddenly. “I've been waiting a very long time for answers and-”

“You won't find them here.” Samuel interjected gruffly. 

Allison frowned deeply and took a step forward. “You're not the only one with scars. I've spent thirty-two years of my life healing my own wounds. I know you don't know me, but as your granddaughter-” she paused, watching the man's eyebrows go up a little. “-maybe we can figure out how to heal together.”

The man studied her for a long time it seemed. After a very painful silence, he broke eye contact. “Come back tomorrow. It'll give me a chance to tell Maria.” Without a goodbye, he went back inside the house. 

Allison puffed out her cheeks and blew out, feeling like her legs were going to turn to jelly underneath her. She looked over at Mathias who had a strange smile on his face. 

“What?” She asked. “What's so funny?”

“At least you didn't get shot.” He turned and got back in the cruiser, still smiling. 

“I kind of wish he had.” Allison mumbled, getting back in the car. As Mathias backed out of the driveway, she saw Samuel watching them from the shutter-less window. It sent a shiver down her spine.

“He's...a little scary.” She said, tearing her eyes away from the house. 

“Samuel has been through a lot.” 

“I just can't believe he wouldn't talk to me. I mean, I'm his granddaughter. How could he just-” 

“Be suspicious and wary of a stranger claiming to be his family?” He chuckled a little. “No offense, but I would be the same way.” 

She scoffed. “You wouldn't be the least bit curious?”

“Samuel asked you to come back didn't he? I'd say he's curious enough.” 

Allison nodded, “Yeah, I guess so. What are the chances that he'll actually talk to Maria?”

Mathias shrugged. “I'm not sure. Samuel isn't one to go back on his word, but just because he talks to Maria doesn't mean she'll want to see you. I'd give it fifty-fifty.”

“That seems to be my percentage of choice lately.” Allison said, looking out the window. The sky was now a purplish blue and getting darker. 

“Look Allison, it could have gone worse. He could have shut you out completely. But at least the door was opened and now you have a chance to get those answers you keep talking about.” There was an edge of derision in his voice. 

“You think I'm wasting my time, don't you?” She asked.

“I don't think it's a waste of time. But I do think you're expecting a fairy tale ending when all you might get is more pain. For you and for them. ”

Allison raised an eyebrow. “I don't know what I'm expecting. All I know is that part of my life has been dark and I'd like finally shed some light on it. That's not too much to ask.” 

“And I think it is.” Mathias said sharply.

She stopped talking, noticing the stern look on his face. Even in the waning light she could see the conversation was taking a bad turn. Allison settled back in her seat, watching the rest of the light fade from the day. The rest of the trip was quiet until they got back to the hotel. Allison was opening her door when Mathias spoke.

“Are you hungry?”

Her eyebrows rose. “What?”

“Are you hungry? You know...for food? I've barely had anything to eat all day.” 

Allison thought a moment. “Sure, yeah.” Then she asked. “Are you asking if I want to eat with you or are you just curious?” 

He looked mildly uncomfortable at her question.“I figured you don't know your way around so I'd show you someplace to go. It's not the best, but it'll hold you over until tomorrow.” 

“You didn't answer my question.” She smiled. “If you just want to give me directions, I'm sure I could find my own way.”

“Right. Sure.” 

She shifted in her seat. “But I wouldn't be upset if you joined me.” How did this get so awkward all the sudden, she wondered. “I mean, it's up to you.” 

“I'll uh-” he cleared his throat. “I'll come with you. That way I can bring you back to your hotel safely. It's-” he nodded towards the outside. “dark.” 

Allison struggled to not laugh. “I appreciate it.” She closed the door and he took off towards he edge of town. When they arrived, she leaned down to read the red neon sign.

“The Red Pony. This is a restaurant?”

“Yep.” He got out of the car and though she was a little reluctant, she followed. To her surprise and relief, it was a nicer place on the inside. A good number of people were scattered around at the bar and tables. Country music blared from the jukebox and a fire burned in the fireplace. For the first time that day, no one stared at her when she came in. 

“Bar or table?” Mathias asked, standing close behind her. 

“Uh,” she swallowed, looking around quickly. “Table.” 

He moved past her and she caught a whiff of musk and something else, something earthy and warm. She ignored the way her stomach tightened below her navel and joined Mathias at the table he picked. 

“This place is...nice.” She said, looking at the hanging animal heads. “I guess I'll have to get used to places like this.” 

He smirked. “Planning on sticking around?” 

Allison shrugged. “Maybe. I don't have any ties to Denver really. And Wyoming is as good a place as any, I guess.” 

“Just wait until the first big snowfall.” He said, giving her a warm smile. Her stomach was doing that tightening thing again. Oh stop he's just being nice, her mind argued. 

“It does snow in Denver, you know.” 

“Not like it does in Wyoming. Snow is no joke up here. And lucky you, Fall just started so you'll get to see it first hand. If you plan on staying.” 

Another Indian man came from behind the bar to their table. He was taller than Mathias and not quite as intimidating. His eyes were kind, despite the look of confusion on his face. 

“Mathias. You do not usually frequent the Red Pony. Is there some special occasion or is there a problem that I am unaware of?” 

“No, I was showing Allison some of the town's fine cuisine.” The remark was obviously sarcastic, judging by the look the other man was giving to Mathias. “Henry, this is Allison. Allison, Henry Standing Bear.” 

She reached out her hand to shake his, smiling. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You as well. Mathias, I did not know you were dating anyone.” 

“Oh, we're not-” Allison jumped in immediately.

“I just met her today. I'm helping her out with something-”

“Yeah, no. We're not together.” 

Henry looked between the two of them, trying not to smile. “Well, since this not a date, what would you like to drink?”

“Water.” They answered together. Allison saw Henry's eyebrows raise and blushed a little. “And a beer. Whatever you have on tap. Please.” 

“Coming right up.” Henry gave Mathias a knowing look and went back to the bar. 

Both Mathias and Allison avoided meeting the others gaze for as long as possible. The awkwardness was painful and she wondered if it would have been better to come alone. It was only after Henry brought their drinks and took their orders that they started talking again. 

Allison took a sip of her beer, then asked. “So what else did you dig up about me?”

Mathias shifted in his seat. “I know you went to college in Denver, graduated with a bachelors in social work with a minor in psychology.”

“Yep. And I haven't done a thing with it. Life, it seems, has gotten in the way.” She swiped her thumb through the cup's condensation. “I have my own social work to get through.” 

“Can I ask why you chose social work? I would imagine being in the system for so long, you'd want to get away from it all.” 

She nodded. “I remember every single house I was fostered in. The color of the house, the smell of the bedrooms, all of the foster parents and their kids. I remember how scary it was and how no matter how much you wanted to stay in a certain house, the chances of being adopted were slim.” Allison's lips tightened into a wry smile. “Anyway, one social worker isn't enough to change the system, but I thought I could try to make a difference. At least one kid at a time.” 

Mathias was scanning her again, except he wasn't judging her or suspicious. This time it was something else. Even still, it made her feel exposed; as if he could see down to her very bones. 

“That's very noble.” He said. “We could certainly use more of that mentality around here.” 

Allison thought about making a comment on that, but restrained herself. He made it sound like he was officially asking her to stay. They had only just met so he probably didn't care one way or the other, but the thought that someone finally wanted her around was enough to help her decide that sticking around might not be a bad idea after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Samuel refuses to let Allison speak with Maria, Mathias takes her to another source: Nathan Red Fox, her uncle. He gives her some startling news about her mother and she has a feeling foul play is involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and for the lovely comments. This last chapter was a little hard to get out because I wasn't sure how to proceed, but the first few chapters are always the hardest in my opinion because you're trying to set everything up and be consistent. Anyway, thank you again for reading! Comments and critiques are always welcome. Enjoy!

Mathias dropped her off with a promise to call when he heard from Samuel. Once she got up to her hotel room, she passed out the moment her head hit the pillow. When sunlight finally peeked through the curtains, her eyelids fluttered open, noticing a bleary seven o'clock staring at her. Allison groaned, rubbing her face and eyes. Her body ached, especially her neck and she realized she wasn't laying on any pillows. Groaning again, she sat up and tried to rotate her neck when she saw a green light flashing on her cellphone. 

There was a missed called from an unknown number. No voice mail message and it seemed to be a blocked as well. 

“Probably a wrong number.” She mumbled and threw her phone on the bed. It was still pretty early and she debated going back to sleep but then her stomach started growling. The burger from last night felt like forever ago and she wondered if the Red Pony served breakfast. Probably not, considering the place stayed open until two. Nope, she was on her own until Mathias called. She remembered giving him her cell phone number and noting how much it felt like she was hitting on him, especially since he didn't ask for it. 

“What's this?” He asked, taking the napkin Allison used to write her number on. 

“My cell number. That way you can reach me when I'm not in my hotel room. I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere, but you know-” she trailed off, feeling herself start to ramble.

He responded with a nod and she couldn't get out of his car fast enough. 

Allison smiled at the thought and proceeded to get ready for the day. She felt more self-conscious while getting dressed, making sure her hair looked tamer and her clothes less wrinkled. There wasn't a real reason for it, she just wanted to look less like a hobo and more like...well she wasn't sure. 

A woman much too chipper for the early morning told her the best place to grab breakfast was the Busy Bee. She mentioned it was next to a resale shop as if Allison knew where to go in this town. It didn't matter anyway. She had time to kill and a little exploring never hurt anyone. Having lived in the city her whole life, she appreciated the small town charm of Durant. The casino looked like a giant eyesore in the middle of it all, but once she was away from the hotel, she was able to ignore it. A community green stood in the middle of downtown and a playground not too far from that. Several of the shops weren't open yet, but she did manage to find the Busy Bee which gratefully was open and smelled deliciously of dough and coffee. 

She scarfed down a breakfast burrito and two cups of coffee as if it were the last meal she was going to have. Allison was pouring another cup of coffee when her phone rang. It was Mathias. 

“Hello?” 

“I heard from Samuel.” 

She set the pot down, swallowing. “Yeah? What did he say?” 

There was a hesitation, then he sighed. “Maria won't meet you. He said she had a breakdown just hearing about you.” 

“And you believe him?” She asked incredulously. 

“I'm inclined to believe him, yes.” He answered with fine edge of irritation. “There's nothing I can do, I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, I'm so sure.” She grumbled, forgetting her coffee entirely and marching out the door. 

“Look, if it makes an difference, I argued with him. I tried to get him to understand, but he won't have it and I can't force him to meet with you.” 

Allison exhaled forcefully. “You're right. I'm sorry.” 

It was quiet for a moment, then Mathias said. “I know someone else you can talk to.” 

An hour later, she met Mathias at the Tribal Police station and they drove further into Reservation. 

“So who is this we're going to meet?” 

“Nathan Red Fox, Leena's younger brother. He might be able to set up a meeting with Maria better than me.” 

Allison looked over at Mathias, “Why are you helping me? Not that I'm grateful, but it seems like you're going out of your way for something that seems like...a lost cause.”

Mathias smirked. “Are you always so negative?'

She laughed out loud. “No, but it just seems every door I open gets slammed in my face.” 

“Maybe you're not opening the right doors.” He glanced at her, still smirking. She felt her face burn a little. 

“You're avoiding my question.”

Exhaling, he shrugged. “Because you can't get very far on the Res without me. And...you're Cheyenne.” 

Allison's eyebrows shot up. “So you believe me now? Did you happen upon some information that I don't have?” 

He didn't answer right away, turning down the driveway to a mechanic shop. Once the engine was off, he looked at Allison. “You look like her.” Then he opened the door and got out. 

She couldn't help staring at him as he walked around the car, mouth agape. Mathias looked through the windshield, hands on his hips. “You coming?” Allison nodded and opened her door. A man with short dark hair and a blue jumpsuit came out of the front office, wiping his hands with a rag. 

“Hey Mathias.” He called, squinting in the sunlight. 

“Nathan, you got a minute?” Mathias asked. 

“Who's this?” His eyes were on Allison and she was instantly reminded of Samuel. Nathan had the same, sharp, bird-of-prey eyes. 

“Allison Foster,” She introduced herself. “I was wondering if we could talk about Leena.” 

Nathan's eyes narrowed and he frowned, eyes turning to Mathias. “Is this a joke?”

Mathias shook his head. “I think you'll want to talk to her.” 

Allison hoped Nathan could see the sincerity in her face, the desperate need to even get an inkling of information. He still looked uncertain and yet he invited them inside. The office smelled of motor oil and grease, reminding her of every time she had to get the Ford fixed and how much money it cost her. She hated that smell. Nathan plopped down behind his desk, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Allison. Gingerly sitting in the chair across from him, she looked back at Mathias who nodded semi-reassuringly. 

“Well?” Nathan asked.

She turned back to Nathan and cleared her throat. “I uh, I wanted to talk about Leena because I'm-” she hesitated and the man finally looked up at her. “I'm her daughter.” 

It took a moment for Nathan to register what she said, but then he exhaled. “Mathias, can you give us a few minutes?”

Allison shifted in her seat, uncomfortable at the idea of being alone with this man, but she glanced at Mathias and said, “I'll be okay.” 

For a moment, it looked like Mathias wasn't going to leave, then he turned and left, shutting the door behind him. 

“Look,” Allison started quickly, “you probably think I'm a liar and looking for some kind of attention, but I swear to you-” She saw Nathan stand up and she stopped. The sharpness of his gaze as he rounded the desk made her throat go dry and her heart thud wildly in her chest. When he got to her chair, she expected him to yell or shake her or something equally awful. Instead, he leaned down and hugged her. Allison held her arms out awkwardly. 

“What-” She started, then Nathan let go and sat in the chair beside her. 

“I've been hoping this would happen for a long time.” His eyes were watery. “My parents haven't been much help and any records are-”

“Sealed.” She finished. She exhaled shakily, “I've been trying to get in for a year now.”

“How did you find out about Leena then?” 

“A private investigator. Don't ask me how he got the information because I don't know. I just-” she swallowed. “-I'm looking for information. Is she still alive? If so, can I go see her? I'm-” Allison saw Nathan's face become stony. “What?”

“Mathias didn't tell you?” He asked, his voice soft. 

“No. He thought it would be better if I heard from her family.” The air was suddenly very thick and part of her wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Nathan had to say. Leena, or an image of a mother from her fantasies, had been alive in her mind for so long the thought of her being dead was almost unbearable. 

“She-” He started, then took a deep breath. “She killed herself.”

Allison could only stare at him. “W-what?” 

“After you were adopted, she fell into a really deep depression. Wouldn't eat, stayed in her room all the time and slept. One night my mom went to check on her and she was gone. Half the reservation looked for her and they eventually found her. She'd hung herself from a tree.”

“W-was there an investigation or anything? I mean, how could they be so sure it was suicide?” She asked, the muscles in her throat opening and closing painfully. 

“We didn't have any reason to. The adoption was hard on her. Mostly because she wanted to keep the baby-” he tried to smile, “-well, you. But my parents wouldn't hear of it.”

She frowned. “Why not?” 

Nathan sighed. “She as young and the father was white. My parents don't believe in mixing the races.”

Allison wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or scream. What kind of people wouldn't let their own daughter decide for herself? Especially when it was her baby? 

“Why didn't Leena just leave?”

“She wanted to. But the father was kind of a deadbeat and didn't have the money to take care of her, let alone a baby. She didn't have anywhere else to go, so she stayed.”

“That's-” her mind searched frantically for a word to describe what she was thinking, “-horrible.” It was fitting for the situation and how she felt. 

Nathan nodded. “I hated them for what they forced her to do. You wouldn't have been the first mixed baby on the Res. My parents were-” she chuckled humorlessly “-are very proud of our lineage. They saw you as a stain to it.” 

If there was one word to make her feel worthless, it was 'stain'. A stain on their lineage. She felt dirty. “So,” she said, then cleared her throat. “What about the father? Is he still around or-?”

He shrugged, “I'm not sure. I lost track of him after the adoption. I actually confronted him and I was about to beat his ass, but Leena wouldn't have it. She was always the peace maker.” His eyes moved to his grease-stained hands, a sad smile on his lips. 

“What is his name?” 

“George Randall.”

She nodded, filing the name away to look into later. It got quiet for a moment, then she asked, “What was she like?” 

At this, Nathan looked up. The sad smile was still there, but his eyes shined brightly. “She was beautiful. And so smart. My grandfather used to say that the Great Spirit favored her best because of how many good genes she inherited. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. There wasn't anyone around that couldn't say a nice thing about Leena.”

Allison smiled, “Do you have a picture of her?” 

Nathan frowned, looking on his desk. “I used to. I might have put it away.” He stood up and went to his desk drawers, opening one then another. “Ah,” he said triumphantly, pulling a frame out of the bottom drawer. “This was just before she got pregnant.” He handed the frame to her. “She was dating George, but no one knew then. I suspected she was seeing someone, but I was only twelve at the time so what did I know?” 

She looked into the face of the woman who would be her mother and felt her whole face go numb. Leena was indeed beautiful. Long, dark hair framed her soft, happy face and bright eyes. She was smiling widely with another girl and what she assumed was a younger Nathan. 

“Who is the other girl?” Allison asked. 

“Our cousin, Deena. They were best friends.” 

“Deena and Leena,” Allison murmured, touching the faces with her index finger. “Is she-?”

“No,” Nathan said, coming around the desk and sitting. “She left after Leena died. I haven't spoken to her in several years. She blames us for her suicide.” He sighed deeply. “I don't blame her; I blame myself too.” 

“Why?” Allison frowned. “It wasn't like you made her or-”

“Doesn't matter. I wasn't there for her when she needed me.”

“But-”

He smirked. “It's okay. I've dealt with my ghosts and I know that Leena is with the Great Spirit where she belongs.”

Allison looked back at the picture, trying to imagine how someone so happy could be sad enough to kill herself. It hurt to think how alone she must have felt. In a way, she understood completely. Still, something about it didn't sit right with her. 

“You can keep that if you want.” Nathan said, interrupting her thoughts. 

“Oh, I couldn't.” Allison protested, trying to hand the picture back. Nathan held his hands up. “I have plenty. Besides, you can use it as proof.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You look like her. So if anyone asks, you can just show them the picture.” He smiled warmly at her and she instantly felt something stir inside her; as if she finally found home even if it was in this man she just met. 

“Thank you,” Allison almost whispered. “I-you don't know how much this means to me.” 

“I feel the same way. Maybe you being here is how Leena is communicating with us. Maybe she wants to forgive us and the Great Spirit sent you here to do it in her stead.” 

“I don't know about all that. I think I just got lucky.” Allison said. 

“I don't believe in luck.” 

She smiled awkwardly. Religion of any kind had never played a part in her life, but she wished she could be as convicted as Nathan. She exhaled, looking towards the door. “I better not keep Mathias waiting any longer.” She stood and Nathan followed suit. “Would it be possible to talk to your mother? I tried going through Samuel, but he seemed less than thrilled to open up that chapter of their life again.” 

He thought a moment and she could almost see him denying her request. Then he nodded. “I'll try, but I can't make any promises. If I know my father, and I do, when he makes up his mind it's hard as hell to change it.” 

“Maybe I could meet with your mother without Samuel?” This was pushing it, but she had to try something. “I don't want to cause more trouble, I just want-”

“That I can't do. If he found out we were meeting you with behind his back, he would disown us all.” Nathan was grinning, but she knew he was telling the truth. “But I'll work on them. Don't expect a warm welcome though.”

“So, no Welcome Home banquet?” 

He laughed, “No, not at all.” Nathan looked at her with a deep spirit of affection. “You have her sense of humor too.”

His words gripped her heart tightly, reminding her that she would never know that humor for herself. “Thank you again.” She turned towards the door and opened it. Then she turned back. “Can I see you again? I'd love to hear more about her.”

“Anytime. And maybe next time I can hear about you.”

Allison nodded. “I'd like that.” 

Mathias was sitting on the trunk of his car when she came out. “Well?” He asked, hopping off.

“Nathan Red Fox is my uncle.” It was an odd way to answer, but it seemed like he understood immediately. 

He gestured toward the picture frame in her hands. “What's that?”

She moved next to him, revealing her new treasure. He studied it and Allison studied him. 

“How well did you know her?” 

“She was a little older than me, but Nathan and I played as kids.” The look of affection he saw in Nathan's eyes reflected in Mathias' eyes we well. “She was like my older sister in a way.” 

Allison felt a sudden rush of warmth towards Mathias and the way he cared about Leena. He looked away from the picture to Allison. She didn't realize they had been standing to close together. So close in fact, she could see the lines of tiredness in his face and the real, deep brown of his eyes. She shifted, clearing her throat. 

“So what next?” Mathias asked.

“Well, you won't like it.” 

He sighed, pulling his signature move of hands on the hips. “What?”

“I want to re-open Leena's case. I don't think she killed herself.” 

Without answering, Mathias got in the car. She frowned and quickly got in the passenger seat. “Look, I know you want to be done with this. I just think there's more to the story.”

He looked over at her. “Do you realize how much work this is going to be? I have a whole Res to deal with. I can't just drop everything to re-open a thirty-year old case. If there even is a case.” 

“I know and I believe me, if I didn't need you help I wouldn't ask. But you said it before, I won't get very far on the Reservation without you.” She tried to make her eyes plead as much as possible. “Please.” 

He stared at her for a long minute then shook his head. “You better book more nights at the hotel. This is going to take awhile.” He turned the key and started the engine. 

Allison clapped her hands together, smiling widely. “Thank you so much. You won't regret it.”

“Says you.” Mathias grumbled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get complicated for Allison as she is finally allowed to Maria and given a chance to prove herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeee!! I'm going to upload two chapters because I had a jolt of inspiration over the holiday weekend, so boo-ya! Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

The puking was unbearably painful. 

She couldn't tell if it was because she was crying at the same time or if her body was actually trying to fold itself inside out. Either way, she wished it would stop. Mathias held her hair back gently, trying not to look at the puddle of dinner and bourbon on the ground. This would be over analyzed later for sure. 

The wave finally stopped and Allison stood up, wiping the remnants of vomit from the corner of her mouth. She was shaking violently, but she managed to keep upright. 

“Better?” Mathias asked. He had this odd habit of trying to look nonchalant about whatever situation was in front of him, but Allison saw right through it.

“For now. Now I remember why I don't drink a lot,” she croaked. Her throat felt like it had been set on fire. “Thanks for the-” Allison motioned to her hair. 

He nodded. “Can I take you back to the hotel?”

Allison shook her head. “I got kicked out. Apparently if you don't have money, you can't buy things like nights at a hotel room. Who knew, right?” She was starting to feel woozy again, so she leaned against the building. Thank the spirits for whoever built the Red Pony in this exact spot, she thought leaning her head back against the cool wood.

“Where will you go?” He asked.

She shrugged without opening her eyes. “My truck. The seat is quite comfortable in the right position.”

Mathias looked away, his hands on his hips. “You could come to my place.” He said this to the parking lot, but she heard him loud and clear. 

Allison's eyes popped opened and lifted her head. “What?”

“It's better than your truck don't you think?”

Their eyes met and for the first time that night, Allison felt a sliver of clarity open in her mind. “Yeah, it would be.”

The ride to his house gave her a chance to sober up a little, feeling more and more ashamed of her little display of insanity in the bar. She would have to apologize to Henry in the morning. And for once, Allison was grateful for Mathias’ stoic silence; she wouldn’t know what to say anyway. 

Mathias' house was small, but she figured he didn't need anything bigger. She stood in the living room, awkwardly holding her bag while he bustled around picking up a beer bottle here and there and throwing them away. He was unapologetic about the bachelor-ness of his place, which comforted her. This was the home of a single police chief who was on-call twenty-four seven; he had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to explain. Despite the few bottles and dishes in the sink, the place was rather tidy. A pile of books were stacked on a coffee table and a throw blanket was askew on a very lumpy couch. Allison tilted her head to look at the book titles.

“So.” Mathias said, bringing her gaze to his. She waited for him to speak, but he didn't.

“So...” she started, flexing her fingers over the straps of her bag.

 

**2 Days Earlier**

“This isn't much to go on.” Allison said, sifting through the embarrassingly slim file on her mother's death.

He sighed, leaning back in his desk chair. “I told you there wouldn't be. It was ruled a suicide and autopsies weren't common back then, especially for Cheyanne.”

She looked up from the piece of paper in her hand. “Why?”

He smirked. “Even if there were suspicious circumstances surrounding her death, the Res clinic didn't have the proper equipment to do an autopsy and she was buried as soon as her body was released to Samuel and Maria.”

“They didn't want to find out if she really killed herself?”

“Would you? They found their daughter hanging from a tree. Having a doctor cut her up was the last thing on their mind, I'm sure.” The smirk from before was gone completely. A sadness ghosted over his face that told her she should let the topic dissipate. She turned her attention back to the faded paperwork.

Mathias allowed her to set up in his office, which he reminded her was temporary because he had “actual” police work to do. She ignored the jab. This was just as important to him, otherwise he wouldn't have helped Allison in the first place. In so far, Mathias was just dealing with paperwork of his own and answering the phone.

“So, this “actual” police work,” she couldn't help but grin, “has it started yet or did I miss it?”

He didn't bother to look up at her, but she saw the hint of a smile pass over his lips. “Police work isn't chasing bad guys all the time, you know.”

“Oh, I know. I just thought you'd be doing more than filling out reports.”

Mathias finally looked up, “This is part of it. I can be a bad ass with my gun as much as I want, but I have to write it all down the right way or it doesn't count.”

This made her chuckle. “How often are you a 'bad ass' with your gun?”

“More than you think.”

“Well when it happens, let me know. I want to be there to witness this bad-assery you're talking about.” She quipped.

“It's pretty impressive.” He retorted back.

Their eyes met, giving Allison a lurching warmth below her navel. Then the phone rang. He answered, his eyes shifting away. She went back to the words on the paper, reading the same line over and over, still reveling in her tingling stomach.

“Uh-huh. When?” Mathias was quiet for a minute. “Okay. I'll tell her.” He hung up. “That was Nathan.”

Allison's gaze shot up. “Yeah? What did he say?”

“He said that Maria finally agreed to meet with you.”

“Really? When?” She was half-way up, but Mathias held out a hand to stop her from completely leaping out of her seat.

“Not until tonight. She wants Nathan and Samuel to be there, but they don't get off work until six.”

Allison deflated into her seat. He smirked. “Think you can wait that long?”

“I don't really have a choice do I?”

“Nope. I guess not.”

She sighed, closing the manila file. “Now what?”

“Well,” he started. “You could always look into finding your dad.”

The thought gripped her suddenly and she shifted in her seat. “Yeah, I guess so.”

He frowned a little. “It's just a suggestion, Allison. You don't have to do anything.”

“No, it's a good idea.” She pushed her hair behind an ear. “I just don't know if I'm ready for that yet, you know? I mean, it would pass the time but I don't even know if he's still in Wyoming. For all we know, he's in another country-”

“Allison,” Mathias interrupted. “I get it.”

She closed her mouth. “Sorry. I was rambling.”

“No kidding?” He said in faux surprise.

She exhaled and smiled. He went back to his paperwork and she leaned back in her chair. 

The afternoon had been used to explore some of the reservation, much to Mathias’ chagrin. She only got turned around once, which she found to be a good thing because it brought her to a cliff and a view to die for. The land and the sky went on forever bringing with it an overwhelming feeling of smallness. The world continued on without interruption from man or architecture in this place and for the first time in her life, she felt more at home here than any other piece of land she’d set foot on. There was a completeness that she couldn’t describe, as if a hole that had been riddled into her chest was finally closing. It wasn’t until Mathias called her that she realized she’d been out there for several hours longer than intended. Luckily, he knew exactly where she was and despite a little bit of grumbling, he offered to pick her up. 

Now they were approaching Maria’s house and all that completeness she felt on the cliff was fading. Nathan was sitting on the porch and met them as they walked up. He gave her a wry smile as he stood.

“Thank you Nathan. You don’t-“

“Don’t thank me just yet. She’s in a rare mood, but it could change.” 

She caught a glimpse of Samuel through the screen door. He was holding a woman’s hand, presumably Maria’s, and speaking softly. His eyes caught her watching this moment between them and Allison quickly looked away. 

Nathan cleared his throat and moved to the door, “Let me go in first, then I’ll come get you.” Then he disappeared inside. 

Allison exhaled, sticking her hands in her jean pockets. “I feel like we’re meeting Don Corleone or something.” 

Mathias huffed a laugh. “I wouldn’t be making Godfather references just now.” 

She looked at him in surprise. “You got that?”

“I know things. I’m not a total shut-in.” He smirked. “Do you want me to come in with you?”

“Yes please.” The response was out before she could stop it. “I mean…if you don’t mind.” 

“I don’t mind.” The smirk turned into a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

She wasn’t sure why or how, but the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice calmed her instantly. It was like those words were a magic spell and the roiling wave of tension in her stomach settled. Allison inhaled, nodding. “Thanks.” 

The screech of the screen door, made her head whip forward. Nathan motioned for them to come in and she followed, swallowing hard. 

Samuel was nowhere to be seen, but Maria was sitting on a large recliner eyes instantly landing on Allison. She was a small woman and Allison noticed the chair looked like it was going to swallow her whole. A dark gray plait laid neatly over her shoulder with red feathers tied to the end. Despite her smallness, there was a fierceness that could be felt even from several feet away. Maria’s eyes told a story of hurt and pain that Allison was sure no one on this earth ever felt. 

“Mom, this is Allison Foster. Allison, this is Maria Red Fox.” 

Allison wasn’t sure whether she should attempt to shake the woman’s hand or not. The look on Nathan’s face told her that it would be a mistake to make any sudden movements, so she merely nodded and said, “Nice to meet you.” 

Maria kept silent. 

“Can I get you guys anything?” Nathan asked, moving towards the kitchen. 

Whiskey was the first thought that came to Allison’s mind, but she shook her head. “No, thank you.” She moved to the couch beside the recliner and sat gingerly on the edge of the cushion. Mathias sat in a chair by the door, his eyes moving between Allison and Maria. Nathan thankfully returned a minute later with Samuel behind him. Samuel sat by to his wife again and Nathan sat on the couch next to Allison. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't afraid to be within a foot of her. There was that at least. 

She wasn't really sure where to start or if she should be the one who began for that matter. Nathan cleared his throat. 

“Mom. Is there anything you want to ask her?”

Maria's eyes blinked over to her son then back at Allison. “I'm assuming you don't have proof that Leena was your mother?” Her voice was deep and rich, like wine that had been aged for many years.

“Mom-” Nathan started, but Allison interrupted. “No, I don't. I'm in the process of getting my birth records, but it's difficult even for me.” 

“Then how did you come upon this information?” 

“I hired a private detective.”

Maria's lips tightened. “And how did he obtain the information?”

Allison shifted in her seat. “I didn't ask.” 

“Then how do you know it's the truth? He could have given you a random name he saw in a phone book.”

She didn't know how to answer; Maria's logic was sound and really she didn't have any way to reassure this woman that she wasn't some con artist. “I know it doesn't seem likely considering that I don't have proof, but I've been searching for a long time and when I arrived here, I had a feeling-”

“A feeling?” Maria interjected, the smoothness of her voice gaining an edge. 

“Yes. And Nathan says that I look like her.” Allison looked back at Nathan who nodded. When she turned to Maria, she was certain that was the absolute wrong thing to say. 

“How dare you.” Maria said in a hushed voice. “The both of you. Nathan how could you disgrace your sister's spirit like this? And you-” Her fiery eyes flashed to Allison. “Coming into my house and claiming to be family with absolutely no proof to your words? You should be ashamed for stirring up our emotions like this.”

“Please, I wasn't trying to do anything. I-” Allison gulped. “-I just wanted to find my family.” 

At this, Samuel stood up. “I think it is time for you to go. You have caused enough turmoil. ”

“But, please I-I didn't mean-” But Samuel's piercing gaze made the words catch in her throat. She stood up, moving past Nathan and Mathias to the door, casting one last look at Maria over her shoulder. The woman sat unmoved by her pleading look, turning her gaze away. It was all she could do to not run out into the night and not stop. 

It was a couple of minutes before Mathias joined her outside. Allison was sitting in the passenger seat of the cruiser, completely avoiding his eyes as he got into the front seat. 

“If it makes you feel better,” Mathias started quietly, “she's pretty pissed at me too.” 

Allison sighed, but stayed quiet. He chuckled and started the engine. 

“What?” She asked, finally looking at Mathias.

“Nothing. I should get you back.” As he turned on the headlights, Allison saw Samuel and Nathan in a very heated argument. 

“Will he be okay?” She asked as they turned onto the main road.

“Nathan? Yeah, he'll be okay.”

“They have to know he means well.” 

Mathias exhaled. “Probably. But ever since Leena died, Nathan has gotten the brunt of Samuel's rage.” 

“That's terrible.”

“He's pretty used to it by now.” 

Allison scoffed. “That doesn't mean it's okay.” 

“I didn't say it was. It's just how it's always been.” His face was stern in the lights of the dash. 

She let silence take over the argument, forcing herself to look out the window. How could it have gone so badly, so fast? It was probably going to be her only chance to meet them and now it would for sure be her last. Or was it? A very improbable idea crawled to the front of her brain and she wondered if it hadn't been there the whole time, waiting for this exact moment. She didn't know the area very well, but this was their second time visiting Maria's house so how hard could it be? 

Mathias offered to buy her a drink, but she refused politely. 

“This doesn't have to be the end you know.” He said as she opened the door in the hotel parking lot. 

Allison turned her eyes downcast to her dirty boots. “I know.” She looked back at Mathias, giving him a small smile. “I wasn't planning on giving up quite yet.”

Truer words had never been spoken.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison is able to sneak back on the reservation to try and talk to Maria, but her night doesn't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA. So, I said I was going to post two chapters and then I only posted one because I needed to do some serious editing on Chapter 5. But here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

She slept soundly in the knowledge of her plan, making sure to do as much map research as possible before passing out. She didn't want to blow it by having to stop and ask for directions. Morning came and Allison decided to wait until the afternoon. The nerves were threatening to abort this plan altogether, so she looked over the map a few more times and forced herself to eat as much as she could stomach. It was two o'clock before she left the room and went down to the lobby.

She was almost out the door when the male concierge called out to her. “Miss Foster!”

“So close.” She murmured, then turned around. “Yes?”

“It's a matter of your credit card. Can we speak in private?” 

My credit card? Thoughts raced through her mind a million miles a minute. She wasn't checking out any time soon, so why was this an issue? 

Approaching the desk, she cleared her throat. “Is there a problem?” 

“Yes ma'm. As you know, we charge a one dollar fee just so we know there are enough funds in the account to pay for the room and the card was declined.” 

“Wait, you did this when I checked in? Why didn't you tell me about it then?” How could she not even have one dollar in her account? 

The man tilted his head in a patronizing way. “I understand that this is frustrating, but it's our policy-”

“That wasn't the question I asked.” She interrupted. “I asked why you didn't tell me before I spent two nights in your hotel? I now have a very large bill that I apparently can't pay for.”

His lips tightened. “I apologize ma'am. There's apparently been a lack of communication between the staff.”

Allison inhaled and exhaled sharply, leaning forward on the desk. “Then that means it's a problem on your end and I shouldn't have to pay for anything at all.” 

“I can't do that ma'am. If you would like, we have an office that you can use to check your funds.”

“And what if I don't have the funds? What then?” 

The man didn't even hesitate on the response. “Then unfortunately you will have to vacate the room and pay the bill at another time.” 

She closed her eyes, holding up her hand. “So...wait. I have to leave the hotel AND still pay the bill?” 

“Yes ma'am,” he answered curtly. 

“That is bullshit!” She whispered harshly, making the man take a step back. 

“Ma'am, please don't make me call security. I've already offered the office-”

“You know what? Don't even bother. I'm going to get my stuff and leave right now.” She turned toward the elevators before the concierge could say anything else. 

It only took her a few moments to pack her bag, with a few new towels stuffed in the bottom, and marched out of the hotel. Allison caught the man's smug grin as she went; he even wished her a good day. She could have punched that prick right in the face and not felt an ounce of remorse. 

But she had more important things to do. 

The sound of her phone vibrating made her jump. What now? Mathias' name flashed on the phone's screen and she stared at it for a long moment before putting it back down on the seat beside her. Guilt flooded the anger, completely washing it away. Mathias trusted her and now she was going to throw it back in his face. But this was important. More important that the trust of someone she barely knew. Besides, after this little act of espionage she would probably go back to Colorado and never see him again. The thought plunged a strange spike of sadness into the pit of her stomach. It was true that she barely knew him, but he really stepped out for her, sacrificed his own relationships to help her chase ghosts. It seemed a shitty way to repay him, but what else was she going to do? 

Waiting for paperwork to clear wasn't an option at this point and it was with this thought she started her truck and went straight to the Reservation. When she reached Samuel and Maria's house, she stayed in the truck, staring at the peeling screen door. Instant regret and fear ran through her entire body and she thought about just leaving when the front door opened.

It was Maria.

Allison swallowed the knot forming in her throat and got out. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to finish out conversation from last night.” 

The old woman's hand tightened around the handle of the screen door. “There is nothing to finish.”

Allison stepped forward. “I don't believe that.”

“I don't care what you believe.” Maria said, her words so sharp they could have cut Allison to the bone. 

“I think you do. I think you're afraid to admit that I could be your granddaughter and that a part of your daughter is still alive in me.”

Maria's mouth turned into a slight snarl. “Leave! You are not welcome here!”

“I know, but if you would just listen to me-” Her words were lost when she saw Samuel come outside. 

“What's going on?” He asked, looking from Maria with Allison. There was a frightening glare to his eyes that actually made Allison freeze. “What is she doing here?” 

“Intruding.” Maria said. “She thought she could come here alone and I would suddenly know the truth. Well here is the truth I know. You are a deceiver. I don't know what you want from us, but you won't find it here. Go destroy some other family.”

Tears were streaming down Allison's face before she realized she was crying. “Please. I don't want to do that. I just want to find my own truth. And I thought it was with you. With these people.”

“I'm calling Mathias.” Samuel said suddenly before disappearing inside. 

Hearing his name was like being slapped in the face. She was in the truck and backing out before Samuel had a chance to come back. What was she thinking? Sobs wracked her body as she drove, the road turning blurry and wet. She was homeless, jobless and now probably friendless. Mathias would probably arrest her and any hope about finding out about her mother would be lost. 

Somehow, she found herself at the Red Pony. There wasn't a real reason for it except that she had nowhere else to go. Besides, a drink sounded really good right about now. The place was half full with a few people sitting at the bar. Henry instantly recognized her. 

“Allison, right?” He asked, putting a freshly dried beer glass away. “What brings you here?” 

She tried to put on her best fake smile. “Beer.” Alarms went off her in her head that she couldn't afford beer right now, but she ignored them. She'd worry about that later. 

“Sounds like a good reason. What can I get you?” 

“I don't have anywhere to be, so-” she sat down on a bar stool, “-surprise me.” 

Henry studied her for a moment and she was instantly reminded of Mathias, save for the instant judgment she felt from the police chief. He looked concerned, but not enough to stop her from drinking, for which she was grateful. She might scream if someone denied her one more thing. Picking up a different glass, he filled it with an amber liquid and placed it in front of her. 

“Surprise.” Henry said this without any enthusiasm whatever, making Allison laugh out loud. 

“Thanks,” she said with a sigh and picked up the glass, giving the drink a good, long stare before completely downing the thing in one breath. 

“That is impressive.” Henry quipped, taking the glass. “Another?”

Allison winced, instantly regretting the “impressive” chugging. It'd been too long since she had done any serious drinking and downing a beer like that was foolish even for the most experienced drinkers. However, she nodded, spinning her whole hand as a way to tell Henry 'to keep 'em coming.' He didn't argue, poor fool, and before she knew it she was warm and very buzzed. 

“How many is that?” She asked, leaning on the bar. 

“I believe that is your fourth.” He answered, nodding at the half-empty glass in front of her. 

“Only four? Pfffftt.” She scoffed. “It's gotta be more than that. I shouldn't feel so buzzed. I think it's more.” Allison was pointing a finger at Henry.

“You do not drink very often. Otherwise you would not be as drunk as you are.” 

Scoffing bigger this time, she waved a hand to dismiss away his words like a buzzing fly. “I am not drunk. And I do drink.” 

Henry gave her a look. 

“Okay, not a lot, but!” She slid off the stool somewhat ungracefully. “I do know how to dance.”

“Really?” Henry leaned on the bar, watching her half walk, half stumble to the jukebox in the corner. 

“Yes, Henry Standing Bear, I can. I might be an orphan, but I do know how to shake my ass when it's needed.” 

The other patrons in the bar were watching now to which Allison was completely oblivious. She got to the jukebox and started pushing buttons, but nothing was working. She frowned deeply at the brightly colored lights, still mashing them when Henry came up behind her and tapped her shoulder.

“You will need this.” Two quarters laid in his palm and Allison smiled widely.

“Oh yes, money. I don't have that either.” This made her laugh more than it should have and Henry put the quarters in for her. “Aww, thanks. I probably would have dropped them.” She laughed again before turning to the box and flipping through the selections. “No, no, no, ha definitely no.” 

Henry was still standing next to her and she could feel him staring. Finally, she found a suitable song and gave a triumphant,“Aha! Perfect!” A bluesy rock song erupted from the speakers and her body instantly starting swaying to the rhythm.

“Do you dance Henry?” She asked, grabbing his hands. 

“No, not with women who are not in their right mind.” He tried to wriggle his hands away, but she held on tighter.

“Oh, but I am! I'm aware that I am very single and very ready to dance with a handsome bartender named Henry.” She gasped loudly. “Woah, you're a handsome bartender named Henry!” 

He was finally able to get his hands free.“Allison, let me call you a cab to take you to your hotel.” 

“Don't be a buzz kill! I am just asking you to dance.” She reached for his hands. “Come on. Just one dance. It won't kill you.”

“You are right. However I have patrons to tend to, once of which is a young lady who needs a ride to her hotel.” 

“Pfffft, I got kicked out. I am offically-” she did a little spin, feeling her stomach and the ocean of beer inside it jumbling up nicely. She had to steady herself on a table. “-homeless.” 

“Ah. Why did you get kicked out.” 

She giggled. “Wouldn't you like to know?” A musical interlude started and she started moving her hips. “This is my favorite part.” 

Henry watched her for a minute, then went back to the bar. She didn't notice at first, but then her eyes caught him dialing a phone.

“That cab will have nowhere to go!” She shouted at two decibels higher than she should have. 

“I am not calling a cab.” He called over his shoulder. 

Allison responded in a sing-song voice. “You can't kick me out for being drunk in a baaaarrr!” 

“I am not also not kicking you out. I am hoping Mathias will come take you out.” 

Mathias' name kicked her in the gut and she stopped dancing to lunge towards the bar. “Oh man, don't call Mathias! He's an even bigger buzz kill than you are!” She tried to jump on the bar, but missed severely and landed on her side. The world exploded into a brilliant cascade of yellows and blues and it spun madly no matter how much she tried to blink it right side up. 

A redheaded woman instantly rushed to her side. “You okay? That looked nasty.”

“Felt awesome,” Allison groaned, trying to sit up.

“Oh no, just lay there. I'll get some ice. Henry?” She called, standing up. 

Henry's face appeared beside the redhead. “Do I need to call an ambulance?” 

“No. No ambulance. Maybe another drink.” The entire left side of her body was tingling. 

The woman chuckled. “That is the last thing you need.” Henry disappeared, but the woman stayed, putting a hand under Allison's head. “Having one of those days?” 

Allison blinked, “One of those lives.” 

Henry returned with a bag of ice. “Where is this needed the most?” 

“Do you have one for my entire body?” Allison croaked. 

“That would require more ice.” 

A smirk crossed her lips. The doors swung open and she heard footsteps approaching her. Tilting her head up as much as she could without blacking out, she saw the stern, somewhat angry face of Mathias, hands on the hips as usual. 

“Uh-oh.” Allison said sheepishly. 

“You've got that right.” Mathias said humorlessly. 

Shame and sickness roiled in her stomach violently, growing worse as the redhead and Henry helped her up. Mathias' eyes showed not one ounce of sympathy for her and practically dragged her out of the bar by her arm. 

“I got a very angry phone call from Samuel this evening. What the hell were you thinking?” He said, keeping his voice level, despite the apparent rage she heard behind it. 

The world was getting loopy again, but that didn't stop her from ripping her arm out of his grip. “I don't know, okay?! I actually have no idea what I was thinking, I just..wanted answers! And no one seems to want to help me, so I thought I would do it myself.”

“I'm helping you!” Mathias argued. “I have put my reputation on the line for some woman who claims to be-”

“Oh hell, not you too. Jesus! Just a day ago, you were on my side, reassuring me that what I said was true! You told me I looked like her!”

He stepped towards her, “I am on your side, Allison. I want to help you, but you can't go around upsetting old women and breaking the rules.” 

Allison had a retort ready to go, but then her stomach clenched and she was vomiting all over the ground. Luckily, Mathias stepped back before any got on his boots. 

 

Mathias was in the middle of making up the couch for Allison to sleep when she finally spoke. 

“I'm really sorry.” 

He didn't speak at first, tucking a sheet into the cushions. Then he looked at her. “I understand what you were saying and while I don't think it was a good idea to go over there, I admire your spirit.” 

She breathed out a laugh. “Yeah well my spirit is giving me an awful headache right now.” 

“I have something for that.” He abandoned the makeshift bed and went to the kitchen. He brought back a white pill bottle and a glass of water. “Drink all of the water and then some more.” 

“Thanks,” she said, opening the bottle and shaking out two white pills. “I feel like an idiot.” 

“I won't lie to you, it was pretty idiotic.” 

“Which part?” She asked, tossing the pills into her mouth and taking a sip of the water. It felt good on her raw throat, washing away the left over bile and beer taste that lingered. 

“All of it.” His answer was blunt, but she smirked.

“I'm normally not this impulsive. I don't know what's gotten into me. Well, that's not true, I know what I just don't know what to do about it.” 

Mathias finished with the bed and sighed, “You could trust me for starters.”

“I do trust you.”

He frowned, “If you trusted me, you wouldn't have gone to Res without me.”

Allison opened her mouth to argue, then she closed it. “I'm going to go change. I smell like-”

Mathias held up his hand, “Yeah I know.”

Grabbing her bag, she went to the bathroom and closed the door. Her reflection was terrifying to say the least; her hair was all over the place, her face pale and tired. Instantly, she washed her face and mouth, brushing her teeth twice. Taking off her shirt revealed a long, dark bruise forming on her side where she fell. She hissed, examining it closer in the mirror. Henry would definitely be getting an apology dinner in the near future. 

When she finally emerged, feeling somewhat more human, she saw Mathias donning a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, sitting at the kitchen table, looking over some papers. It was so strange to see him without the police uniform, all she could do was stare. Her eyes followed the muscled lines of his arms, over his shoulders and all the way down to his bare feet. 

“I can feel you staring.” 

She smiled and dropped her bag by the couch. “You just look so normal, I almost didn't recognize you.”

“I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult.” He put down the papers and turned to meet her stare. 

“It's not an insult.” She said softly. 

Their eyes stayed on each other until she blinked and looked at the couch. “Thanks for this. I know it's probably weird since you don't know me that well.”

He stood up, “I saw you puke your guts up, I'd say we're friends.” 

Allison's cheeks burned slightly. “Sorry about that.” She sat on the couch, wincing a little. 

“You okay?” He asked, eyebrows drawn together in concern. 

“Yeah,” she answered. “I tried to jump over the bar to stop Henry from calling you and I-” she paused, feeling more stupid with every word, “-I jumped into the bar and fell down.”

She hadn't expected him to laugh out loud. The laughter was full and happy; something she guessed he didn't do very often. 

“Ha, ha, yes it's very funny for Allison to get hurt,” She rolled her eyes. “Thanks a lot.” 

“I was wondering why you were laying on the floor.” He laughed again. “I'm not even sorry for laughing.” 

Allison nodded. “I probably deserved it. Sneaking onto the Reservation, getting way too drunk and then hitting on Henry all merit some kind of cosmic payback I guess.” 

Mathias snorted. “You hit on Henry? How did that go?”

She sighed, “I didn't ask him to do me in the bathroom, I just wanted him to dance with me. And I may have called him a handsome bartender. I don't know if that's real or not.”

“Uh-huh.” He sat on the coffee table in front of her. “You wouldn't be the first drunk woman to hit on Henry, I'm sure about that.” 

“Oh, well then that makes it okay.” Her side was absolutely screaming at her so she slowly laid down, pulling the comforter over her. “Who was that redheaded lady?”

“Cady Longmire. Nice girl. Her dad's a pain in the ass though.” 

“And who is her dad?”

“Walt. He's the sheriff of Absaroka county. You'll probably meet him at some point.” 

She quirked an eyebrow, “So is he a pain in the ass because he's a bad cop or is he a pain in your ass?” 

Mathias smiled, “He's a pain in a lot of people's asses, but mine is included.”

“Why?” 

“That's how good cops are, right?” He was tilting his head a little and she realized he was looking at the long scar that traveled down her right shoulder. 

She smiled, pulling her arm inside the blanket. “That's a story for another time.” 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to-”

“No, it's okay. I forget it's there.” She gave him a wider, reassuring smile. “Halter tops are ruined for me forever.”

It became quiet between them for a moment and she wondered what he was thinking. Concern lined his face, but something else was there as well. Whatever it was, she felt warm and safe. 

“Do you have everything you need?” He asked quietly before standing up.

Allison nodded. “I think so.” 

“I'm going to get you more water.” 

She watched him go to the kitchen, her eyes lingering much to long on his ass as he walked. She turned on her back quickly. Geez, what is wrong with me, she thought, pulling the blanket in tighter. 

Mathias returned with water and made sure she drank it all before starting for his own bedroom.

“Mathias?” Allison called. 

He turned, “Yeah?”

“Thank you.” 

He only responded with a smile, then disappeared into the room closing the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison has nightmares again, but luckily Mathias is there is give her better ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crow and a half. The last nine months have been brutal, but that's a story for another time. I'm here now with an update and I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you Netflix gods for Season 5 finally coming out and giving me inspiration!

For the first time in a very long time, Allison had a nightmare. A mixture of the alcohol and sudden life upheaval were probably the culprits, but nonetheless, she woke up to Mathias standing over her in the dark, his eyes wide.

"Wha-what's going on?" She looked around wildly, expecting some imminent danger that they needed to leave the house for. 

"You were screaming." Mathias answered softly. He sat down on the edge of the couch. "I thought you were hurt."

She ran a hand through her hair, feeling the wet stickiness of sweat and realized that her whole body was shaking. "I haven't done that in a long time."

Mathias stayed quiet, his dark eyes still searching her face as if he was expecting to find some wound. She inhaled deeply and let it out, feeling her heart beat slowing down. The spot on her side was throbbing and she winced as she attempted to sit up. 

He finally broke the silence, "What were you dreaming about?" 

Allison couldn't bring herself to look at Mathias and she felt him shift a little.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I don't mean to intrude."

"No, it's just..." she exhaled again, "a lot to lay out for someone. I mean, not a lot it’s just complicated and I-“

Mathias placed a hand on hers. “Allison, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

Even in the dark she could feel him squeezing her hand and it comforted her beyond what she cared to admit. She gave him a little smile. “Thank you for waking me up.”

“I mostly did it for my neighbors. From the way you were screaming, it sounded like you were being killed or…” He stopped. She couldn’t help but chuckle a little, her cheeks burning.

“I’m sure it’s not the first time they would have heard something like that.” The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them and she saw him smile in the dim light.

“A gentleman never tells.” He let go of her hand and stood up, leaving a strong, residual warmth where he held it. “Can I get you anything?”

She shook her head, “No, I’m okay now.”

He bid her goodnight and went back to his room, closing the door. Allison took a deep breath and snuggled under her blanket again. When she closed her eyes again, she went right back to sleep. The dreams didn’t come right at first; thoughts of Methias and his warm touch danced behind her eyelids. But they were soon replaced with darkness and a figure coming out of it. The door opening quietly and rough hands reaching for her followed by a deep voice telling her to keep her mouth shut. One of the hands started under her night shirt and she wanted to scream so badly, but she couldn’t.

Allison shot up from her pillow, panting heavily. Mathias was sitting on the coffee table again, watching her. She swallowed hard, the hot trail of a tear rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

“Was I screaming again?”

He nodded solemnly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I keep-“ she stopped and looked down at her shaking hands. Finally she looked up at Mathias again. “When my adoptive mother died, I was put into the system.”

Methias started, “Allison-“

“It’s okay. I want to tell you. I think you should know why I’m keeping you up.” She took a deep breath.

“It’s hell because every house you go to, every foster parent you meet, you think that it might be the one. This is the family that will love you and accept you and adopt you. But it never happens and soon you’re packed up and moving onto another place like a piece of furniture or something.” She sniffed and continued on. “When I was 12, I was placed in a home with this…amazing family. They had a daughter that was older than me and she was so happy to have me there because she ‘always wanted a sister’. The mom was Mrs. Cleaver with her perfect smile and cooking perfect dinners every night. The dad.” She paused again, swallowing the knot in her throat. “The dad was everything you would want in a father. Strong, comforting, smart. They were _the_ cookie-cutter family that every orphan wanted.” Allison stopped for a moment, feeling the knot in her throat growing bigger and bigger.

“What happened?” Mathias asked softly.

Allison looked at him, “Daddy dearest took hands-on to a more personal level.”

His eyebrows furrowed. She continued, “It didn’t happen for the first few weeks. Everything was perfect. And then one night he came into my room to say goodnight. He leaned down and kissed me, but not on the cheek or the forehead. Right on the lips. And it lasted for way longer than it should have. I was twelve and hadn’t had my first kiss yet, but I knew that daddies weren’t supposed to kiss their daughters that way.” She snorted a little. “But I wasn’t his daughter, so I guess the rules weren’t the same.”

“How long did this go on?” The chief in him was starting to come out and she could hear it.

“For almost two months. And it wasn’t very consistent either. Some nights he would just pop his head in and wish me goodnight and other times he would stay to kiss me or touch me more. Some nights he would come in and wake me up.” Her voice lowered, “Not many girls can say they lost their virginity when they were twelve.”

Mathias’ eyes closed for a moment and his jaw tightened. When he opened his eyes again, Allison could see a fire burning behind them that had not been there before. “You couldn’t tell anyone?”

“I was afraid to; I didn’t think anyone would believe. The thing is…he counted on that. He knew I would be too scared to tell his wife or the social worker. So it kept going on until one night…I had enough.” Allison exhaled and motioned towards the scar on her shoulder.

“I was about to turn thirteen and I knew that if I didn’t do something about it, things would go on until I left and considering how much he liked me, I knew it would be a long time before that happened. I stole a knife during dinner and hid it under my pillow. I don’t know why, but I knew he would be coming to see me and when he did, I would do whatever I could to get away from him.” She could see Mathias braced against the coffee table, listening intently.

“He finally came up to my room and when he slid into bed, I just started stabbing. I think I got his shoulder and his arm. Or maybe it was his leg? I don’t remember. I do remember there being a lot of blood.  I tried to run away, but he caught me and threw me into the bedside table, breaking the lamp. He kept trying to put his hand over my mouth, but I bit it and screamed. When he let go for a second, I ran towards the door, but he managed to slice me with a broken piece of lamp before I could get there. Finally, the mom came in. If he hadn’t had his pants down, I think they would have thought I was lying.”

It took a moment before Mathias spoke again. “Did he go to jail?”

Allison nodded. “Yeah. He’s still there the last I checked. Apparently, I wasn’t the only girl he did this to.”

“What about his daughter?”

“He never touched her, fortunately. She was so nice, I was glad to know he didn’t.” She moved some hair behind her ear and exhaled again. “I finally settled into a home that was decent until I moved out, but I never trusted anyone ever again. Even now I have issues with,” she glanced up at Methias, “relationships.”

Methias slumped a little, one of his hands running through his long black hair. It was a little strange to see him so vulnerable like this. He looked tired and yet that fire was still in his eyes. “Nightmares make sense now.”

She smirked, “Yeah, I guess so. I haven’t had them in a long time, but I think digging into the past has really riled all that stuff up in my head.” She saw Mathias trying to stifle a yawn and she patted his hand. “Go back to bed. I didn’t mean to keep you up so much.”

He shook his head, “You don’t hear me complaining, do you? Look, why don’t you take the bed and I’ll sleep out here. A real bed might help keep you asleep.”

“Really? I hate to kick you out of-“

“Yes really. And you better go before I change my mind.” He sounded serious, but his smile spoke differently.

“Okay. But when you are complaining tomorrow, I’ll remind you of this conversation.” Allison stood up and crossed to his bedroom. She turned, seeing Methias settling into her spot on the couch. “Thank you for listening.”

He tilted his head, “You’re welcome. Get some rest.”

She closed the door behind her and climbed into Methias’ bed. It was bigger than she thought and incredibly soft. And everything smelled like him. She couldn’t help but inhale as she wrapped the covers around her. The bickering thoughts in her head finally became quiet and he drifted off to sleep.

The morning came much too soon and somehow she managed to lay right where a beam of sunlight was coming through the curtains. Before she could even open her eyes, she knew she had a headache. And a stomach ache. Her entire body was an ache. Turning to her back, she groaned. What time was it? The clock on Mathias’ bedside table read 10:00 in green letters. She sighed, rubbing her eyes. Would Mathias leave her alone in his house?

“The man let you sleep in his bed for Pete’s sake,” she mumbled to herself, attempting to sit up. The pain in her side was worse, if that was even possible. She sucked in a sharp breath, putting a hand to the throbbing muscle. It would be awhile before it was completely healed. Once she was able to get out of bed and walk around without getting dizzy, she opened the door and went into the living room. Mathias was standing in the kitchen, flipping something in a skillet. The curtains were wide open in the living room, making her squint as she stepped out.

“Morning sunshine.” Mathias called out.

How he knew she was up was beyond her, but she murmured a response of some kind that resembled ‘Morning’ and ‘Ugh’. She made it to the dining room and sat gingerly in a chair at the table.  

“How do you like your eggs?”

“None, thanks. Just coffee please?” She saw a glass of water and two white pills sitting in front of her. “Are these for me?”

“Considering I’m not the one with the hangover, I’d say that’s a yes.” He said over his shoulder. He was in jeans and a t-shirt which he must have gotten out of his bedroom at some point. She had a slight recollection of rolling over and see him trying to open one of his dresser drawers as quietly as possible.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a work?” Allison put the pills in her mouth and gulped down some water.

He finished piling eggs onto a plate before answering her. “I took the day off. Is that okay with you?” He brought the plate and a cup of coffee to the table. “Or did I need to ask permission now that you’ve slept in my bed?”

Allison smirked and she could feel her cheeks burning. “Well obviously not. I was just curious.”

He smiled at her before turning back to the kitchen. “How do you take your coffee?”

“Black, two sugars.” The smell of the eggs was turning her stomach and she had to turn away for a minute. Mathias set the coffee cup in front of her and chuckled before sitting down.

“I’m guessing you don’t have a hangover food?”

Allison shook her head before taking a careful sip from the mug.  “Just coffee. I’ve tried eating food with a hangover and it just makes it worse.”

He nodded, starting in on his food. “So, what is your plan?”

She stared at him. “Plan?”

“Well, seeing as any shot you had with Maria and Samuel are blown, did you have a plan for what you wanted to do next?”

Allison blinked. She hadn’t really thought about that. “No, I guess not. I just figured I would find my mom and go from there.”

“But seeing how things aren’t the way you hoped-“ He started.

“-time for a Plan B.” She finished. “I don’t want to stop investigating though. There must be someone else we can talk to. Or somewhere else we can look for answers. Maria and Samuel can’t be the end-all-be-all. I mean, they were her parents but she had friends, right? You said it yourself…everyone loved her.”

“You’re right. And I wasn’t saying we abandon the investigation. I just think it would be best if you figure out what you want to do while you’re here. You don’t have a place to stay or a job-“

“Don’t remind me,” Allison interrupted.

“So those would be good places to start. You can stay here until you find your own place and I’m sure they have openings at the casino. Jacob Nighthorse is the owner. He’s always hiring people.”

She gave him a look. “While everything you said is legit, I see two problems with your proposal. One: I’m not going to impose on you in your house because honestly, I don’t know how long it will be before I get my own place. Two: I don’t think I could be comfortable working at a casino. There has to be other work here.”

“I suppose, but you won’t make near the amount of money you would at the casino.”

She laughed, “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that you cared about me.”

Mathias stood up, empty plate in hand. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” His tone was serious, but his grin told her everything she needed to know. “And by the way, if I offered to let you stay with me, you’re not imposing. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.” With that, he turned and walked to the sink.

Allison sat back in her seat. “Do we have to arm wrestle for the bed then?” The sound of a snort came from the kitchen and a wide smile broke out on her face.

“Please.” He said loudly over running water. “Save yourself the misery and stick to the couch.”

This made her laugh out loud, which she instantly regretted. The bruise on her side was deeper than she thought.

“You should get that checked out.” Mathias said, looking at her from his place at the sink. “There might be a broken rib or two.”

She scoffed. “When I find several hundred dollars to spend, I’ll go.”

The water turned off and he came back to the dining room, drying his hands with a towel. “I can check for you.”

“You can?” Allison frowned.

“Having suffered a few broken ribs myself, I pretty much know what to look for.” Flinging the towel over his shoulder, he put his hands on his hips. Even without the uniform on, he still looked like a police officer.

“Well, I…I guess so. I mean, what do I-“ she trailed off, standing up. He came towards her until he was able to grab her wrists gently and raise them up. “Put them behind her head.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “It sounds like you’re arresting me.” Obediently, she crossed her fingers behind her head.

Mathias replied with a warm smile, his warm fingers moving to the spot over her shirt. “Here?”

Allison swallowed hard and nodded.

“Can I go under the shirt?” He asked. Safety and assurance rolled of him in waves, so she nodded with only a little hesitation. The moment his fingers touched skin, her heartbeat sped up considerably. They were standing pretty close together and if he had an inkling to do more than just check her ribs, he would’ve had complete access and much to Allison’s surprise, she wasn’t sure she would stop him. The long slender fingers found their way to the bruise and she winced.

“I have to put a little pressure on it to see if they’re broken, okay?”

“Okay,” she breathed out, inhaling sharply when he pressed into the skin. Her eyes squeezed closed.

“Hey.” He said softly, but firmly. “Look at me.”

Instantly her eyes opened and she saw him staring at her with such intensity, it made it difficult to even blink.

“Just concentrate on the color of my eyes.” He commanded. Again, it was firm but there was such a warmness there, Allison didn’t have any problem following the command. He pressed again and she hissed. She managed to lock onto the dark brown of his eyes, trying as best she could to ignore the incredibly painful pokes and prods he did with his fingers. For the most part it worked and for a moment, she wondered if he could feel the residual thuds of her heart where he was touching. Finally, it was over and he removed his hand from her side.

“I don’t feel anything broken,” he said quietly. Despite being done with the exam, he didn’t move back. Allison slowly lowered her arms.

“That’s a good thing.” Her eyes kept moving back and forth between his eyes and his mouth. The gap between their lips was closing slowly and then…

…the cellphone in Mathias’ pocket started to vibrate and ring. They both exhaled and he cursed under his breath. “They know I took the day off.”

Allison smiled and took a small step back. “Maybe it’s an emergency.”

He shook his head. “I sure as hell hope so.” Taking the phone out of his pocket, he frowned down at the screen and answered. “Yeah?”

She turned, grabbing the glass of water and downed the rest, her stomach flip-flopping over and over. Mathias caught her eyes and she frowned a little.

“Okay. Yeah, I’ll uh…I’ll get over there as soon as I can. Thanks.” He pulled the phone away and hung up.

“Who was that?” Allison asked.

Mathias ran his hand over his face and into his hair. “Nathan Red Fox was just found dead.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mathias?” She called out in a hushed tone.   
> To her surprise, he lifted his head. “Yeah?”   
> “Uhm, can I ask a really strange favor?”   
> He sat up on one elbow, “It depends on how strange it is, I guess.”   
> She twisted her fingers painfully. “Would you-“ she sighed. “Would you come sleep with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for continuing to read and your words of encouragement! I hope you enjoy!

The world became very quiet and very bright. Allison knew that Mathias was talking to her, but it sounded like he was talking through a long tube that couldn’t quite reach her ear.

“Allison!”

She blinked and looked at Mathias. “Huh?”

“Do you want to come with me?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

He tilted his head a little. “Are you sure?”

All she could do was nod.

It only took a few minutes for them to get dressed and out the door. Nathan was found off the Res, almost into town. Apparently, he had fallen asleep at the wheel and drove headlong into a tree. Allison tried to ready herself for what she would see. Mathias didn’t give much detail, but the look on his face told a grim story. There was a faint hope in the back of her mind that maybe it wasn’t Nathan. Maybe it was someone else that looked like him and it was all a big mistake. By the time they reached the scene, her head was starting to ache again.

Allison’s joints felt like jelly as she got out of the car. A square of yellow tape was stretched around a brick red truck that looked like it was trying to go through the tree. The tree itself wasn’t very big, but if he were going fast enough….

“Stay here,” Mathias ordered quietly, crossing the caution tape. She nodded in agreeance; she didn’t want to see him like this anyway.  

A blonde deputy was attending to Nathan while a man, the same age but rounder, was searching the passenger side of the truck. Mathias exchanged words with the blonde and she stepped aside so he could get a better look. Allison felt like her whole body was thudding, sinking lower and lower into the ground with every passing second. When Mathias’ head emerged from the truck, he looked right at Allison and nodded solemnly. She inhaled shakily and sniffed. He talked a few more minutes to the blonde and then made his way back to Allison.

“It looks like he was drinking.”

“Was he…did he drink a lot?”

Mathias exhaled, “Not any more than normal. It’s hard to say, though, with everything-“ he stopped short, catching Allison’s eyes. “I don’t know.”

Allison’s hands rubbed her eyes hard. “Are they keeping him here?”

“Probably not. Vic says it looks pretty cut and dry, so I’ll have someone pick up the body.” His eyes closed for second. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I have to tell Maria and Samuel.”

The realization hit her too and she suddenly felt very selfish for being upset. She didn’t even know him. “Will they let you investigate?”

“Knowing Maria, probably not. They’ll want to bury him as soon as possible. This is going to destroy her.”

“I’m guessing I should probably hang back for that part.”

Mathias didn’t have to answer her. Allison caught the blonde deputy staring at her behind sunglasses, but then she looked at the latex gloves she wore and removed them.  “This doesn’t seem right.”

“Allison- “Mathias started.

“You said it yourself, he didn’t drink more than normal. And he seemed very intelligent, so why would he drink and drive? That seems very-“

“Drop it, Allison.” Mathias’ face was very stern.

She was taken aback. “Why?”

“It’s one thing to try and find out about your past, it’s something completely different when you push your way into something you know nothing about.”

Allison took an involuntary step back. “Is that what you really think about all of this?”

He put his hands on his hips, “Nathan was my friend and now I have to go tell his parents that their remaining child is dead. I would think you would have more respect for that, but seeing as how you can only think about yourself that might be a little difficult.”

Her eyebrows furrowed deeply. “Well, I’m sorry that I got in the way.” She turned abruptly and started walking away from the scene.

“Allison!” Mathias called. She didn’t stop. She refused to stop. Even when she heard his footsteps coming up behind her, she kept walking. “Allison, please stop.”

“Why? You made it very clear how you feel.”

He grabbed her arm, but she wrenched it away and kept walking. Finally, he trotted in front of her, holding his arms out. “Will you please listen to me?

She moved past him, “No, you already said your piece so I’m going to move out of the way and go home, okay?”

He didn’t continue to follow her.

It wasn’t clear how long she had been walking or where she was even going, but she didn’t really care. Eventually her feet became so sore, she wandered into a field on the side of the road and plopped down. The sun was starting to set and she wondered if Mathias was looking for her or not.

Luckily, the view in front of made all the walking worthwhile.

The sound of cars passing became less and less and she started to count the minutes between each one. She was up to ten minutes when a particular car didn’t pass by, but came to a stop.

 _Don’t turn around, it’s probably Mathias_ , she thought bitterly. She was surprised when Henry Standing Bear sat beside her instead.

“Are you lost?” He asked.

“Not really.”

“Do you know where you are?” He asked, squinting against the sunlight.

She turned her head to him. “Not really.”

“Ah. Lost but not lost. That makes perfect sense.”

Allison couldn’t help the small grin that formed on her lips. “I’m surprised you could see me out here.”

“I could see you because I was looking for you.” He met her eyes. “Mathias has been looking for you too.”

“Huh.” She sighed and turned back to the horizon. “Here I am.”

“I am assuming this has something to do with finding Nathan this afternoon.”

Drawing her knees up to her chest, she nodded slightly. “He said something that made me mad and I took off.”

“I think he is worried you will do something…” he trailed off, trying to find the right word.

“Stupid?” Allison finished.

“More like dangerous. You are not in a good state of mind.”

Allison pressed her lips together and set her chin on her knees. “I’m assuming you’ve heard about my shenanigans on the Reservation?”

“I was told they were more intrusions more than shenanigans.”

She gave him a look.

Henry smiled. “Yes, I have heard.”

“Nathan was the closest thing I’ve had to family in my entire life. The way he looked at me when I told him I was Leena’s daughter felt like…home. It’s stupid, I know but I was so excited to finally have that connection.” She exhaled slowly. “He said I looked like her.”

Henry studied her face for a moment. “He is right. Although, you look a lot like your father as well.”

Allison’s head shot up from her knees, “You knew my dad?”

“Only from afar. I saw him a time or two, waiting for Leena outside of the Res.”

“Oh.” She deflated slightly, like a balloon. “How well did you know Leena?”

“Not as well as Mathias, but we were friendly. She would always take the time to talk to me. I was very sad to hear about her death.” She saw a sadness float to the surface of his eyes.

She took a moment before asking her next question. “Was Mathias right?”

“About?”

“Me being selfish.”

She watched him think a moment. “I do not know about that. You are on a pretty important mission. One’s past is not a trifle thing and as annoyed as Mathias can get, I am sure he knows how much it means to you. But he did just spend the afternoon telling Maria and Samuel about Nathan and has lost a good friend; words can come out a lot crueler than intended.”

Allison looked back at the pink-blue sky, placing her chin back on her knees. “I get so focused on what I want, I forget how it affects others. Digging things up isn’t as hard for me because I know the answers are there somewhere. But for everyone else…they’ve had these things buried a long time.”

“Yes. I know it was very hard on Nathan, so there is no telling what was going through his head.”

She closed her eyes, feeling tears welling up behind the lids. “I wish I could tell them how sorry I am.” A few tears escaped and she wiped them away quickly. “I can’t even imagine what they are going through.” Sniffling, she looked back at Henry. “I guess going to the funeral is out of the question, huh?”

“I would not attempt it, considering how your last visit went.”

“Yeah. That was dumb.” She snorted.

“Yes it was.”

Smiling, she put her legs down and sighed deeply. The pink sky was fading into purples and golds, the beams of the sun cutting right through it. “Do all the sunsets look like this?”

He nodded. “And it never gets old.”

It was quiet between them while until they watched the sun disappear completely. Henry helped her up and offered to drive her wherever she wanted.

“I think I should go talk to Mathias.” She admitted, getting in Henry’s truck.

“Then that is where I will take you.”

The drive was peaceful and quiet. She rolled the window down and let the air cool her face and blow through her hair. Despite the events of the day, she felt a calmness inside of her. That feeling of home washed over her again and she felt it even more when they pulled up the Mathias’ house where she saw him sitting on the steps to the porch, beer in hand. Allison smiled a little.

Before getting out, she turned to Henry, “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. Mathias cares about you a lot.”

She felt her cheeks burn. “How do you know that?”

“The look on his face when he asked for my help. I’ve never seen him act like that about any woman and I have known Mathias for a long time.”

Pushing hair behind her ears, she nodded. “Thanks for letting me know.” She got out of the truck and waved as he backed out.

When she got the porch, she sat down beside Mathias not saying anything. It was painfully quiet. Mathias took a long, final gulp of his beer and set it down.

“Are you hungry?”

Allison laughed, looking over at him. “Starving, actually.”

 

Mathias made them dinner, which was surprisingly good and Allison snatched the plates up to do the dishes before he could argue with her. They managed to keep off the major topics while they talked over dinner which she was grateful for, but she knew they would get to them soon enough. She was washing the last dish when Mathias joined her in front of the sink, leaning his back against the counter.

“I didn’t mean what I said. “

Allison grinned. “I know. And I know that you were upset with the situation, not me. I also know that I have a bad habit of sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.” She looked up, catching his gaze. “I’m sorry I ran off.”

“It’s okay. It gave me time to convince Maria and Samuel to let me do an autopsy.”

Her eyes grew wider. “Seriously? How did you do that?”

“It took a lot of persuasion, but I told them I thought his death was suspicious and I wanted his spirit to move on knowing I did everything I could to put it to rest.”

“And that worked?”

He nodded. “It’s partly true. I’m still not fully convinced that there was foul play, but I’m willing to look into it.”

“Why?” She dried her hands off and turned to face Mathias.

Crossing his arms, he shook his head, “I owe it to Leena.”

Allison felt the sting of tears again, but she sniffled and looked back at the empty sink. “Well, I’m glad you changed your mind. It…means a lot to me too.”

Their eyes met and she felt herself being drawn closer to him, much like earlier that day. She wanted so very badly to kiss him, but a sudden, gripping fear grabbed her and she turned away. She felt Mathias’ gaze drop to the floor.

Allison cleared her throat. “So, uh…I guess you’re going to be busy with that tomorrow then?”

“Yeah. What about you?”

“I was thinking about trying to find my Dad.”

Mathias’ eyebrows went up. “Really?”

She sighed, “Yeah. I figure he might have some good information. If he’s still around.”

“You might go to the Sheriff’s office, see if they would be able to help.”

“Why the Sherriff’s office?”

He smirked, “He wasn’t a saint, Allison. There’s a seventy-five percent chance that he has a record.”

Scoffing, she moved from the sink into the living room. “I’ll ignore how that sounded like a weather forecast.” Grabbing a set of night clothes from her bag, she headed towards the bathroom. “I was going to take a shower, if that’s okay.”

Mathias hadn’t moved from his spot. “Sure.”

Her hand was on the door knob, but she could feel him staring at her and she couldn’t help but look at him. “What?”

“You look different, that’s all.”

“Different how?”

“I don’t know what it is, but you’re not the scared white girl I met a few days ago.”

She looked down at her bare feet, smiled and glanced back up at Mathias. “I guess I’m not.” With that, she went in the bathroom.

The steaming hot water felt amazing as it ran all over her body, soothing the aching muscles in her back and legs. Mathias told her she walked at least six miles, if not more. The way her feet were still screaming at her when she took her shoes off, she believed him. But even under the hot water, she felt a shiver run over her skin thinking about the look on Mathias’ face moments before. There was a warmness that flowed out of him, almost as if he was proud of her.

Like he wanted her.

The place below her navel tightened and she exhaled deeply, washing shampoo out of her hair

When she finally emerged, Mathias was fixing up the couch again. “I’ll take the couch again.”

He looked behind him, “It’s okay. I actually slept pretty good last night.”

“If you say so.” She watched him, taking note of his strong arms and the way the muscles rippled under the skin as he smoothed down the sheets. Her mind imagined what they would feel like around her. Before she had a chance to look away, he turned to her.

“Yes?”

She quickly shook her head, “Nothing.” Pressing her lips together, she turned towards the bedroom. “I’m gonna crash, okay?”

“Allison.”

She stopped in her tracks, turning back to Mathias. “Yeah?”

“I know it’s dumb for me to tell you to not be afraid, especially after everything you’ve gone through. But I wanted to let you know that you don’t have to be. Not with me.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Of what’s going on between us.”

Her stomach lurched. “I don’t think I’m afraid. I think I’m just not sure quite yet. Does that make sense?”

Mathias nodded. “It does.”

She gave him a warm smile. “Goodnight.”

Although he looked a little defeated, he smiled too. “Goodnight.”

It took her some time to fall asleep, but when she did, images of Nathan filled her dreams. They were walking in the woods together, but he looked so much bigger than her as if she were a little girl again. He held her hand tightly, pushing branches aside as they walked. He would look down at her on occasion, smiling brightly. He looked young and happy. 

Nathan suddenly stopped them, looking scared.

“Stay here.” He told her and went into the woods alone. She waited for a long time and when he didn’t come back, she decided to look for him.

“Nathan?” she called.

No answer.

She called a few more times, hoping she would see him coming towards her. It was getting dark and she was becoming more and more frightened. In front of her, the trees were starting to part and thin, allowing her to see into a clearing. Cautiously, she moved into the clearing. Something was moving in the middle of it, what looked like an animal. Moving closer, she saw it was a grey wolf. She froze upon seeing that the wolf had Nathan by its jaws and was ripping his throat out. Allison opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. The wolf released Nathan and turned its head to lock eyes with her. Blood stained the fur of its muzzle and the eyes were a deep, golden yellow.

Somehow they looked familiar.

She couldn’t move. No matter how much she wanted to turn and run, she couldn’t get her feet to take a step backwards. The wolf moved closer to her, licking its chops and baring long, sharp fangs. Before it pounced, she managed to finally let out a scream.

Allison’s eyelids flew open and her head shot off the pillow. Breathing heavily, she was covered in cold sweat and her hands were gripping the sheets. The door to the bedroom was flung open and Mathias rushed in, “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I- “she started shakily. “I had a bad dream.”

He moved to her side and sat on the bed. “Another dream about-?”

She shook her head. “No, not that. I was walking through the woods with Nathan and he-“ she swallowed, “-he gotten eaten by a wolf. I saw this big, grey wolf-“ she stopped, putting her head in her hands. “It felt so real.” A pair of arms wrapped around her and she felt herself melt into Mathias’ bare chest. He held her until the shaking stopped, which she was very grateful for. Finally, she pulled away.

“I’m sorry I keep waking you up.”

“It’s okay. I heard you call my name and I thought something bad happened.”

Allison frowned. “I called out your name?”

He nodded. “More like screamed it.”

“Geez,” she sighed, leaning her head back on the headboard. “I wish I could have normal dreams.”

Mathias chuckled, “I don’t think there is such a thing.”

“I will take going to school naked over this craziness.” Her gaze turned to Mathias. “What does it even mean?”

“I don’t know. But,” he patted her arm, “I might know someone who does. If you’re up for it, that is.”

“Who?”

“A medicine man. He interprets dreams for people.”

She couldn’t help but huff out a laugh. “Really? A medicine man?”

“Don’t laugh, you’re related to him.”

She sat upright. “Seriously?”

“Samuel’s brother. So, you’re great uncle.”

Allison blinked. “Okay then. The medicine man it is.”

“Are you okay now?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I just can’t get that wolf out of my head. You want know the funny thing?”

“Hmm?”

“When he looked back at me, it reminded me of someone. Like, if he was a human I would have known who it was.”

“Maybe it is. Your subconscious is probably going into overdrive right now. “  He stood up and stretched.

She quirked an eyebrow, “Are you a psychologist now?”

“Only late at night with strange white women.” He smirked.

“And how many strange white women do you see late at night?”

Mathias leaned in close to her, “So far…just you.”

Allison’s heart shot into her throat and she had a hard time swallowing. Before she could reply, he was heading for the door. “Do you need anything?”

“Uh…no. No, I’m fine.” She was sure she sounded like an idiot.

He bid Allison goodnight before shutting the door behind him. She inhaled and puffed out her cheeks with the exhale before slumping down onto the pillow.

“Chicken.” She said out loud before turning over.

An hour passed and she couldn’t go back to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Nathan lying on the ground, covered in blood and the blood stained wolf coming after her. Switching pillows didn’t help and counting sheep only made her think of that wolf again. Another hour passed before she got up. When she opened the door, she saw Mathias sleeping soundly on his side and snoring softly. Allison hated to wake him up again, but at this rate she wasn’t going to get any sleep at all.

“Mathias?” She called out in a hushed tone.

To her surprise, he lifted his head. “Yeah?”

“Uhm, can I ask a really strange favor?”

He sat up on one elbow, “It depends on how strange it is, I guess.”

She twisted her fingers painfully. “Would you-“ she sighed. “Would you come sleep with me?”

Even in the dark, she could see the way his face changed. “Uh…”

“Before you answer, this isn’t me asking you to come have sex with me. I can’t sleep and I figured that if you were with me, it might help.”

Mathias was on his feet and walking towards her before she could continue. “Okay, but you have to switch sides. That’s where I normally sleep.” He passed by and laid down where she had been previously.

Smiling to herself, she closed the door and got in on the other side of the bed. She noticed Mathias wasn’t under the covers.

“You don’t have to stay on top of the covers, Mathias.”

“I know, but I wanted you to be comfortable.”

Allison turned, coming face-to-face with him, “I am. And I would still be even if you were under them with me.”

“So you _do_ want to have sex with me?”

Allison laughed out loud, covering her face. “No! I want to go to sleep and I want you to be comfortable.”

Without a retort, he brought his legs up and got under the covers. “There. Is that better?”

“Yes.” She was half way turned over when she crooked her head behind her. “And thank you.”

“Any time.” He replied, sleepily. His eyes were already on their way to be completely closed.

Her eyes fluttered closed as well, letting the warmness and safety lull her to sleep.


End file.
